Keep It Warm

An alternative only helps if it is real on the day you need it. Give one option a maintenance rhythm: reply to one recruiter, check one internal opening, or keep one promising lead alive each month. A warm option can become concrete in days; a cold one can take months.

Log every offer, rate, and informal number you hear over the year. After twelve months, the log itself becomes leverage: you stop negotiating from vibes and start from a documented pattern. Review it before any money conversation.